Bonsai Forum

TOPIC: Fertilizing young elm?

I'm new to bonsai with only youtube and some websites as my guides.. I've just planted what seems to me as a young elm (?) in a bonsai pot using a mixture of bonsai soil (already fertilized) and very small, sharp rock particles in about a 50/50 ratio.

I have ordered a bonsai fertilizer with an NPK of 7-5-6 and my question would be: is it a good idea to add a bit of it to this young tree or will the bonsai soil be enough for the next couple of months? Thanks!

Rick

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Not quite sure of elm, because of the look of the nodes. I would suggest to plant the little guy in the ground for a few years to widen the trunk and to give you more of a tree to work with. But if you wish to keep the guy in that pot then I would definitely say the "bonsai"soil would last a month or so. I could be wrong as I do not know what you mean, is the soil like a bonsai compost or does it have fertiliser pellets in, if you have the pellets, then they will definitely last 6months.

I think I'll keep this one the pot, since I've got several (Oak, chestnut and willow) planted in the ground and I liked the idea of having something that at least looks like a bonsai, and also be able to keep it indoors (if he shows he doesn't like that very much I can always put him outside again.. Just want him to do well in this pot for now.

The bag says it contains all kinds of stuff, of which 20% organic materials and a fertilizer with a NPK of 14-16-18. I guess I'm OK for the next couple of months, and shouldn't add any fertilizer. Thanks again!

What country are you in? No Elms will be that happy inside, and that seedling needs to be in the ground to get some growth going. The fertiliser you mention is high in nitrogen which is ok in spring and summer but you must stop using it by mid August depending on country.
Disturbing roots in the middle of summer is not a good idea, but it's done now. Keep it well watered and in a shady spot for a couple of weeks. Then move it so it gets a few hours sun each day.

Thanks, I know summer is not the best moment for this, but I didn't want to wait to get it from where it was. I'm in the Netherlands, where we had some days with a lot of sun and about 30 degrees C, but at the moment it's raining with temps around 20/25. I'll keep it shaded for the next weeks for sure.

As I said, I've put some other trees into the ground, but this one I thought looked nice enough to put into a bonsai pot. Won't it grow at all in the pot? I'd love to see the difference of putting them into the ground versus into a pot like this one.

Rain? whats that? We have had little for weeks. The difference between the tiny pot it is in and the ground is that the tree is restricted in the pot, but in the ground has free run. Therefore it will grow very quickly, in three years you will see a huge difference in the two. The plant in the pot will have a trunk not much thicker than it is now, whilst the ones in the ground will have doubled or trebled the girth.
Have a look at bonsai4me.com for species guides. Harry also has published two excellent books. Have a look at Bonsai Focus also. There are some good clubs in Holland, and if you are serious about bonsai then join a club. You will find it most helpful and a much better learning method than the internet.

Where are you from, Holland as well? Thanks for the site, I'll take a look. Thought about contacting people from a local club (there should be one less than 5 km from here, northern part of Holland). I'm just afraid I then want to spend a lot more money to buy a / some quality bonsai.

Basically, the idea was to start a few young trees, different species, all locally grown. I'm 27 now, so they should be nice trees when I'm 40/50, right? I don't want to / can't spend too much atm (still studying), but I see some nice projects here..

Anyway, I'm sure a local club can help when I have the time and money to really get going, but the internet will suffice for now I guess..

I might rethink keeping it in a pot then.. When's a good time to do so, could I do it now since I already moved the tree about quite a bit a few days ago? Or should I wait, let it settle a couple of months and just punt it in the ground with the bonsai soil attached? Thanks in advance.